LITMIR.BIZ

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CHAPTER FIVE

      Sloane

      I couldn’t believe I survived the rest of the day cooped up in a cubby at the back of the library. Not once did anyone come back and find me. I spent the first hour wondering what had gone wrong and imagining the possibilities. Had this person changed their mind? I couldn’t imagine anyone I knew able to pull off an elaborate prank like this. The back of the cafeteria was the meeting place he or she had requested. Maybe something happened to the person who summoned me. Hopefully nothing bad. I wished he or she had included a cell phone number or something.

      I pressed my hands on both sides of my head, attempting to calm my thoughts. If this person found me in Manhattan, he or she would be able to find me in Willows Lake. At the very least they could leave a note at the motel. The fear of running into that guy again made me stay put. I jumped at each bell signaling the change in classes. I glanced over my shoulder every few minutes to make sure I hadn’t been caught. I wondered if I’d be in even more trouble because of breaking into the school. I thought of the excuses I’d make: “Well technically I didn’t break in since the door was open.” An excuse I was sure the principal or whatever disciplinarian caught me wouldn’t appreciate.

      I tucked my chair further into the cubby and took out my phone. I’d had it turned off from the second I entered the library. There wasn’t a plug anywhere near my hiding spot. I didn’t want to risk losing my charge. I flipped the mute button and turned the phone on. A few messages came in from Amber wanting an update.

      I quickly texted her back, promising to call her with details later. She assured me that my dad hadn’t called her house yet.

      My shoulders slumped. Dad knew I wasn’t supposed to be on my phone during school hours. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t hear from him later. I’d have to connect with Amber and coordinate our stories.

      I carefully took the letter from my pocket and reread it, trying to figure out if or where I’d gone wrong. My mind wandered to the other two confrontations I’d had since I arrived. They weren’t from the mysterious letter writer but they had something equally strange in common. How had they mistaken me for someone else? And if Jake liked this “Bri” girl so much, why would he think I was her? Unless we looked alike?

      My hands froze around the phone. A silly idea popped in my head and before I could dismiss it, my fingers were already moving across the screen. I opened the browser on my phone and went to Google, typing in a few search items. “Bri” and “Willows Lake”. I knew it was a long shot, and after reading the first few pages of results I knew I had been correct. I contemplated other search terms when I found an article from the previous year. The blurb highlighted a girl named Brianna Taylor from Willows Lake taking first place in a swim meet. The girl in the bathroom mentioned something about swim practice. I clicked on the article.

      I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe a picture of Bri or some clue why two people thought I was her. Instead there was only an image of a swimming pool. I scrolled through the article. No photo. At least I had a full name. I went back and typed the keywords “Brianna Taylor” and “Willows Lake”. Articles from the town’s small press came up about Brianna. With each one I held my breath, expecting to see a picture. It only took a few articles to find one.

      My breath caught in my throat as I zoomed in on the photo. It was grainy but unmistakable.

      “No frickin’ way.” I didn’t care if anyone heard me. I could always pretend to be the girl who others had mistaken me for.

      It would be easy.

      She looked exactly like me. From my slightly long nose ending at a point to my oval-shaped face. I couldn’t tell the most unique factor from the picture. If she had two different-colored eyes, it would seal the deal. I brought the screen closer to my face, bringing the impossible to light.

      A loud voice boomed across the room and I gasped, dropping my phone on the table. The voice on the intercom made announcements about an upcoming school dance, and a delayed meeting time for the chess club. My blood ran cold as the man read off stats from the most recent swimming meet, giving me the second craziest idea since I’d made the decision to come to Willows Lake.

      I’d never believed in fate, especially after the accident, but I couldn’t think of another word for it. Had the person who summoned me to Willows Lake known about Bri? Had she been the one to find out more answers about the accident? If there was a scandal, she would probably try to keep her identity from me. I knew I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen her face for myself.

      At the front of library, the kids were shuffling around. I hesitated, going back and forth on my decision. I could go back to the motel and hope that someone would make contact. Or I could take initiative. What harm could a detour do? If it wasn’t her then the person could wait a little while, since he or she had sent me on a wild chase. Maybe Bri would have some answers. It seemed to be the best option at the moment.

      When I reached the hallway, I lifted the hood of my sweatshirt over my head to keep my identity hidden. I didn’t need another one of Bri’s friends to mistake me for her. Or for that other guy to find me. I was on a new mission now and like hell would anyone stop me. I asked a younger student waiting outside a classroom where the pool was. He was a little too eager to reply. I assumed he didn’t have much contact with girls. I followed his instructions, leaving through the back door of the building and following the parking lot to the annex building.

      ***

      I entered the one-floor faded brown brick structure. I vigorously wiped my wet sneakers on one of the thick mats inside the main entrance. I didn’t want to slip on them again in case I ran into that guy.

      Across the hall was an open door and as I neared it, the sounds of sneakers and dribbling basketballs grew louder. A man shouted something. I couldn’t make out his words among the other sounds. I peered into the gym, watching the dozen or so guys move across the court. Half of them wore netted vests and were doing drills in pairs. An otherwise conventional practice session.

      My gaze fell on a familiar face. Jake, from the diner, knocked the ball away from one of his teammates and he dribbled the ball at breakneck speed up the court. Toward me.

      I cleared the doorway and pressed my back against the wall, my heart hammering in my chest. A ragged breath parted my dry lips. If I didn’t know any better I’d think he was stalking me.

       Even though you’re at his school.

      I headed in the opposite direction. I didn’t want to pass by the open doors for fear of being recognized so I traveled along the corridor until I reached the empty outer hallway of the building. The dribbling basketballs faded as I traveled further from the gym. I tested the bottom of my shoes; they were dry enough. I jogged down the hallway until I reached another corridor. This time I peered down it to make sure there weren’t any other openings to the gym. One close call had been enough.

      A placard for the natatorium was plastered to the wall in front of me next to a windowless door.

      I strode up to the door and placed a clammy hand on the surface. A whooshing sound in my ears stopped me and I stumbled backward. The same sick feeling rolled around in my stomach as earlier. My vision blurred momentarily before catching a sign for the girls’ locker room. I staggered down the hall and pushed through the doors. A large windowless room opened up around me with rows of lockers against the walls. I shuffled past the benches covered with strewn clothes and bags across the room to a small enclave with a bank of sinks and toilets.

      I turned on the closest sink and cupped my hands under the cold water. Immediately the frigid temperature shocked me back to reality and I splashed water on my face. I drew in deep breaths until my racing heart calmed to a somewhat normal rhythm. I stared at my pale face in the mirror, resembling a drowned rat more than a girl. My stomach revolted, growling at me from deep within my abdomen. I swallowed a few times. The last thing I needed was to get sick when I was so close.

      I opened one of the stalls and sat on the toilet, giving my jelly

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